MLK Jr. Street North is Thriving

Burg residents are no strangers to the ambrosial scents Bodhi Basics concocts. They’re frequent vendors at the local indie markets in Tampa Bay. The business’ mantra is Feel Good: Inside and Out. Owner Kim Vorperian established Bodhi Basics in 2011. On her website, Vorperian notes that the concept came to her after years of trial and error with store bought products.

She turned a friend’s kitchen into a laboratory on the weekends to work on crafting her own plant-based soaps with organic ingredients, or, as Vorperian states, “No junk, no artificial crap, no synthetic fragrance.” The name Bodhi means knowledge and awakening. Vorperian wants every ingredient in her products to be directly traceable to something that grows or comes out of the earth in its pure form.

All oils/fragrances made with pure ingredients

Products include Aphrodite Anointing Oil — made with oils of sweet almond and coconut and botanicals — and Bambi Perfume — geranium rose with hints of honey, juniper and lavender. Deodorant varieties include tea tree and lemongrass, patchouli and sweet orange, and lumbersexual.

Find Bodhi Basics at a variety of local retailers

Vorperian announced Bodhi Basics arrival on 9th Street North on April 17. The official opening is set for August 18. Follow the business on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new products.

While you wait, you can shop their products at local retailers such as Old Southeast Market (1700 3rd Street South), Frolic Exchange (4626 North Florida Avenue), Locale Market (179 2nd Avenue North), Tasty Roots (218 East Davis Boulevard), as well as the Indie Market, the Indie Flea and the Corey Avenue Market.

Andrew Harlan is in his third year as Writer/Editor of iLovetheBurg.com. New York Times bestselling author Andre Dubus III has said of him, “Andrew Harlan has a sharp and discerning eye for detail that deftly captures character and landscape." He has published fiction and poetry in Sabal and Prime Number Literary Magazine. He graduated with honors from Eckerd College in 2013 with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in Literature. He can be reached by phone: (727) 896-3435 or email: andrew@rkc.me